Rear View: An Orchid Chair-Back

Make dining at a celebration more special by attaching simple hand-tied bouquets to the back of every chair. Chair-backs can also provide the finishing touches to a special event such as a wedding, Christmas dinner or summer garden party.

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This chair-back has been arranged using the spiral hand-tied bouquet technique. Instead of having a domed appearance it is designed to be front-facing, because your guests will view the flowers more often from the front or the side than from above. As the flowers are out of water, they will only last a few hours.

Orchid Stems

How to Arrange

Give the orchids a drink, as they will be out of water for the duration of the event. Cut their long stems in the middle to create two separate, short stems.

Hold an orchid stem in one hand and add a few stems around it at the binding point. Insert each stem at an angle to create a spiral effect. There is no need to turn the bunch each time, as you want the flowers to all face forward. Place the longer stems at the back and the shorter stems at the front.

Check to make sure that you are happy with the arrangement of flowers, then tie them at the binding point with a length of raffia. Cut the ends of the stems straight across to neaten them up.

Wrap a long length of ribbon around the top of the chair-back and tie it in a knot at the back. Tie the bouquet onto the ribbon with a short piece of ribbon.

Cut one last long piece of ribbon and wrap it around the bouquet at the binding point, to cover the raffia and any visible knots. Secure the ribbon in a bow and allow the loose ends to trail down the back of the chair.

Streamlined Design

To keep the arrangement aligned with the chair-back, wrap reel wire around a couple of stems and tie the ends onto the chair.